As summer rolls around and school lets out, many art students’ thoughts naturally drift to after-school careers. What exactly can you do with your degree? You’ve all heard that stereotype about art careers being unrealistic and unprofitable, but don’t let the rumors scare you. If anything, an art degree grants you incredible flexibility to choose from wide-ranging options in a variety of fields. We’ve done some research into the career opportunities open to students in graphic design.

Graphic Design Careers

Graphic designers are responsible for much of the aesthetics that sneak into the core of our daily lives. Part of being a graphic designer is seeing your work make its way into all kinds of public and private spaces, whether your designs are corporate or commercial.

Corporate Work – companies today are all about making an image for themselves. Indispensable to this effort is the creation of a unique, eye-catching logo that sets them apart from competitors. Many graphic designers take jobs from corporate clients that ask for assistance in either designing a completely new logo or redesigning an outdated one to fit the modern world. Apart from company logos, advertising is always in constant demand. Posters, business cards, decals, and free merchandise could all use a graphic designer’s touch. With so many small companies and eager entrepreneurs popping up without end in sight, corporate work is a popular option for many graphic designers fresh out of school. You can choose to work in a larger graphic design company or start out solo-plenty of students begin their careers simply by utilizing their pre-existing networks. Friends, coworkers, and family members can all be sources of corporate jobs.

Commercial Work – the other half of the graphic design picture involves designing for the public. There’s a certain amount of overlap with corporate work, but in general, graphic designers who do commercial work are focused on attracting consumers. Jobs might include designing packaging for a new children’s toy, creating a cover layout for a new novel, or even planning out the look of the posters and t-shirts for a community event. As a commercial graphic designer, you’ll need to be constantly aware of how your designs will look in the public sphere and how they’ll appeal to potential customers.

Creative Director – if you make your way up the ranks, you might find yourself in the position of director for an entire project. Graphic designers who pursue careers in this area will manage teams and control the overall artistic direction of endeavors such as advertising efforts, video game art design, and much more. As a creative director, you have the final say about the aesthetic feel of everything.

Even in the midst of this financial crisis, there are options aplenty for those holding an art degree. Don’t let stereotypes scare you away-with degrees in fields such as photography, graphic design, and fashion merchandising, there really is an incredible amount of versatility that opens up an impressive number of options. If you have further questions about how to get these valuable degrees, just take a look around at Find Your Art School‘s offerings.